1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a thin film device comprising a plurality of device layers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Stacked thin film devices comprising a plurality of device layers have been known. Such a thin film device is manufactured by stacking a plurality of device layers in order on a substrate. In the manufacturing process, the device layers are stacked by a low temperature process such as plasma CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition). If a high temperature process such as thermal CVD is applied to stack the device layers, the already formed device layers may be damaged because of thermal diffusion or the like.
However, it is difficult for plasma CVD or the like to fast deposit like thermal CVD. This requires time to form each device layer and therefore prevents throughput in the manufacturing process of a thin film device from increasing.
The present invention is made in view of such problems. An object of the invention is to provide a thin film device capable of improving throughput in the manufacturing process and a method of manufacturing the same.
A method of manufacturing a thin film device according to the present invention includes the steps of: forming a plurality of device units in which a support substrate supports a device layer; and forming a thin film device by combining the plurality of device units.
Another method of manufacturing a thin film device according to the present invention includes the steps of forming a plurality of device units in which a support substrate supports a device layer; and adhering two device units out of the plurality of device units to face each device layer.
Still another method of manufacturing a thin film device according to the present invention includes the steps of: forming an inside insulating layer made of an insulating material in a semiconductor layer having a pair of facing surface; forming a first device layer on a side of the semiconductor layer; and forming a second device layer on the other side of the semiconductor layer.
A thin film device of the present invention comprises integrally formed a light emitting device layer emitting light and a photodetector layer receiving light.
According to a method of manufacturing a thin film device and another method of manufacturing a thin film device of the invention, a plurality of device units in which a support substrate supports the device layer is manufactured in advance and a thin film device is manufactured by combining the device units. The device layer is formed by each device unit simultaneously. This enables to reduce time for forming the device layer. In addition, fast deposition by thermal CVD, which is impossible to use in a conventional method that stacking the device layer in order, can be used. This allows further reduction of time for forming the device layer. As the device layer is supported by the support substrate, a thin device layer of, for example, 1 xcexcm in thickness can be combined.
According to still another method of manufacturing a thin film device of the invention, the device layers are formed on both surfaces of the semiconductor layer, respectively. As a result, the thin film device comprising a plurality of device layers is obtained. The individual formation of the device layers on each surface of the semiconductor layer has no limitation in a method of forming the device layer unlike forming a plurality of device layers by stacking in order. Accordingly, a method of forming a device layer in short time such as fast epitaxial growth can be chosen. The inside insulating layer provided in the semiconductor layer electrically separate two device layers.
According to a thin film device of the invention, a second device layer can detected light emitting from a first device layer when the light is reflected by an object and returned.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description.